(originally posted to Soldier Systems Daily on May 27th) By his 20th iteration, an Afghan guerrilla with minimal marksmanship training was shooting the 2x2x2 exercise just as efficiently as Instagram tactical celebrities. Only an hour earlier had we discussed some key points of marksmanship, then I...
The greatest lie sold to students of any sport is that buying gear always correlates with improving performance. Whether golf clubs or carbines, routinely individuals will “upgrade” a piece of hardware that already functions without issues. Although it’s natural to want to tinker with firearms,...
Ego And Complacency When I shot my first match, I was definitely the confused tactical shooter with the skeptical raised eyebrow. How could any of these civilians beat me, my job is to be proficient with guns. This immediately dissolved due to the zero sum nature...
As a twenty year old Special Forces sergeant, I was predictably overconfident and periodically arrogant. I was strong and fast, but that was mostly because of youth. I was great at shooting drills. But only because I could learn sequences and had no clue as...
By Aaron Barruga Since Thursday, 13 people have been killed and 100 more injured as vehicles were driven into crowds in Eastern Spain as part of terror attacks executed by the Islamic State. In March, a car plowed through pedestrians on the Westminster Bridge in London,...
Last week we pitched the question: "What is something tactical you were taught, that once you stopped doing it actually made you a better marksman?" The comment section quickly filled, and here are some of our favorite responses: Alex: Pulling the trigger with the middle of the pad of...
Originally published to Soldier Systems Daily in June 2016 By Aaron Barruga Our attention spans are garbage. I can’t remember the last time I waited for an Uber to arrive and decided not to spend the downtime thumbing through Facebook and Instagram. As a millennial, I am...
Tense, walking with slow and measured steps, soldiers expecting to make contact with enemy forces change their postures in order to increase situational awareness. You never know exactly when you’re going to make contact with the enemy, but there are definitely indicators. In Afghanistan, we...
"The one on one fight is dangerous, but I'm less worried about that. I need to be prepared for Mumbai, Boston, and Paris" Even a passing familiarity with Aaron's writings make it apparent that he is an outspoken instructor. Despite certain industry practices that prefer theory based...
Eight years ago a DVD series was released that caused a paradigm shift within tactical training. Instead of the typical “stand still and shoot a target from the 5, 10, and 20 yard line” type of training; we saw a duo of instructors run their...